


the missing piece

by seijhoes



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, OOC Possibly, Reincarnation, Reunited and It Feels So Good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23293195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seijhoes/pseuds/seijhoes
Summary: Once upon a time, Reiner Braun felt like a part of him was missing, like he was incomplete. Now, he might just meet the man who can complete him.
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37





	the missing piece

**Author's Note:**

> wow can you believe I've been in the fandom for like six or seven years and I haven't written anything until now? Anyway enjoy this Reibert! I figured these two deserved a better ending than what is actually canon, so here we go! Hopefully it's not too ooc? It's my first time writing them so hopefully you enjoy!

“Reiner, do you believe in reincarnation?”

Reiner glanced at his partner, Bertholdt, who wasn’t meeting his eyes, but instead looking up at the night sky. The stars twinkled brightly, and they seemed even closer since they were sitting on top of Wall Maria, overlooking the Shiganshina district. It was just the two of them at the moment, Zeke had said something about taking a little walk around the wall, or something like that, honestly Reiner hadn’t been paying too close attention. 

“Why do you ask?” He finally answered, pulling the blanket draped around him tighter around his shoulders.

Bertholdt shrugged, wrapping his arms around his knees as he kept his eyes trained on the sky. “Just… Well, what if tomorrow doesn’t go as we planned? What if something happens to you, or me, or both of us…?”

Reiner could hear the worry in his voice, and he scooted closer to him so he could rest his head on his shoulder. “Nothing will happen, we’re gonna get Eren, and then we’re gonna go back home.”

“But what if-”

“Bertl, there are plenty of what ifs, we just have to focus on what we have to do tomorrow.” He bumped him playfully, smiling. “We’re gonna do our thing, and go home.”

Bertholdt sighed, finally resigning to Reiner’s persistence as he leaned on his head. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Hm, about the reincarnation thing?”

“Yeah.”

Reiner hummed thoughtfully, staying quiet for a moment. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to believe in it, especially in the world we live in.” He smiled a bit, leaning in to nuzzle his neck. “Besides, getting to meet you in another life sounds pretty good to me.”

Bertholdt smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, “Me too.”

If only they could have stayed in their own little world, staring up at the stars with their arms around each other, seemingly without a care in the world. But the next day had to come and ruin it, what with them having to prepare for the hard battle the next day, and ultimately (hopefully) stealing the Founding Titan for them to bring back to Marley. Reiner still remembered saying goodbye to Bertholdt, having every intent of greeting him with a tight hug and stealing a kiss from him before they went home.

But nothing went as they expected it to.

It all went downhill after Armin found Reiner’s hiding spot in the wall, the Survey Corps had these new weapons that could penetrate the armor on the Armored Titan, and despite the plan Zeke had come up with, things went to shit pretty fast. The next thing Reiner knew, he was being carried away by the Cart Titan as they made their retreat back to Marley, without Bertholdt. He tried to ask Zeke if they were going to go back for him, or even Annie, but his questions fell upon deaf ears, and all he got in response was, “There’s no time.”

Reiner never saw Bertholdt again.

***

Reiner Braun lived a perfectly normal life, he worked as a contractor, he went out for drinks with friends on some occasions, and he dropped by to see his cousin Gabi play field hockey whenever he had the time. Yes, normal.

Other than the nightmares.

He wasn’t sure what triggered them, but he’d been having them since he was a kid. His mom had tried everything to help him, from therapists to melatonin, but no matter what they tried, he always ended up shooting up in bed in a cold sweat, feeling as if his heart was going to pound out of his chest. All the dreams were the same, just flashes of different scenes; one that looked like him as a small child facing off against a giant beast, then him as a teenager with a bunch of kids around his age around him, and then as an adult man. The only other thing that stayed the same was that the same boy appeared in all the flashes except the last one. The same lanky, tall, awkward looking brunet who stuck by his side like glue. Reiner wasn’t sure if these dreams meant anything, and if they did, what did that mean for him?

Gabi tried to tell him that maybe he was having dreams about a past life he lived, to which he brushed off as her reading too many of those young adult novels Pieck turned her onto. Still though, it sat in the back of his mind, not quite forgotten, but seemingly too much of an impossibility to consider.

***

Crap, he was so late. 

Reiner hadn’t meant to sleep past his alarm, and yet here he was, having to be woken up by the slobbery licks of his dogs, Scout and Bubba and finding himself having to rush to get dressed. It was he and Gabi’s special “Cousin Day” as she had dubbed it, it happened once a month and they’d usually have lunch, maybe see a movie if they had time. He was supposed to go get her at 11, it was 10:30, and it took usually about thirty minutes to get to her house. Reiner sighed loudly, rubbing his face as he walked out to his car and sent a quick text to Gabi, telling her that he’d be a little late. He’d already gotten Pieck to come over and watch the dogs later, so that was taken care of.

And, after all, since he was a little late already, stopping for coffee wouldn’t make much of a difference now would it?

The little bell chimed as he walked in the small coffee shop, giving a small wave to Eren, one of the baristas there. “Hey.”

Eren nodded back in greeting, sliding a cup across the counter to the guy standing in front of him. “Just a sec Reiner, enjoy Bert, I added an extra shot of espresso.” He chuckled, going to work on Reiner’s drink.

Reiner hummed as he looked at the back of the guy in front of him. He was pretty tall, only a little bit taller than he was, sorta lanky, what one might describe as a string bean or a bean pole. He saw him nod at Eren and turn around where they were finally face to face, and his jaw nearly dropped.

He recognized that face, how could he not? It was the face that had been haunting his dreams since he was a kid. The man was here, standing right in front of him.

The only thing he didn’t anticipate was that he would get recognized back.

“Reiner…?” It was barely a whisper, but Reiner heard him. It was like everything was falling into place now, all the memories, the moments they had shared in whatever past life, it was all there now. He was the missing piece.

“Told you we’d meet again, Bertl.” He grinned, unable to help the tears that sprung to his eyes as he pulled him in close, pressing his lips against his in a passionate kiss. He didn’t even register the sound of the coffee cup Bertholdt had been holding hitting the floor, or Eren’s not so subtle grumble of annoyance. He didn’t care, to be honest.

Reiner finally found what he was looking for.


End file.
